I would grind that marinetex out and do an actual fiberglass repair. That keel is going to continue to crack otherwise. That's a structural part of the boat that takes a literal pounding by the water. Grind it out with a die grinder and sand down some perimeter gel coat till you hit good fiberglass. Fill the void with chop glass and resin, then layer on alternating directions of woven glass. Do that until you build the shape back up. Let it cure then sand it to final shape. Then tape off area a little bigger than the repair and shoot it with gel coat & MEK. Let that cure, sand and buff. Sounds like a lot of work, but it's something you want done right. The way it is now worst case you come down on a wake and splits wide open sinking the boat.

Do you know, for that crack you should ditch the water inside, let the inside dry thoroughly and blow it full dry with a heater fan or hairdryer, then grind inside and out till you've got good surfaces to work with. Only then should you be fixing the epoxy putty, or glassing it, or both. But as you saw, that spot on the hull needs something like a glassed-in reinforcement plate, because that's where you get pressure from the water slapping when the boat's hitting it's plane (substantial), and also where it hits the trailer roller (substantial), and also where it grinds on the shore when you've got it tethered for boarding/dis-boarding. And yeah, don't glue, epoxy or sikaflex onto a wet surface. It will never bond as well. A good buy on that boat mate.

After you get that keel patch done the way you want, put a keel guard on it to keep that from happening again.

I worked in fiberglass for 20 years. That's just throwing lipstick on a pig. To fix it right you have to grind it out and build back with glass, then a new gel coat finish to seal it. That keel is probably 1/2" thick there and no goop on top is going to hold. The previous owner probably drill some rocks when sliding up to shore.

A little boating 101. ALWAYS test start and check the boat while it is still on the trailer in the water. That way you don’t have reload if you have issues starting or running or God forbid a leak. You can just pull out and fix and then relaunch once it’s all good. I learned this the hard way. Haha. Congrats on another score!

Not that we need another comment here, but this is my 2 cents worth. I think he did a great job on the boat mechanically. Thats definitely his strong suit. With that being said... Someone called his hull repair a total bodge job.....i would agree that the hull repair was not done right but i wouldn't have put the time and effort in to repairing it right until i knew the boat was sea-worthy and it would hold up on the water. Now that it is known to be a good boat....i'd grind out that temporary fix, get it back to solid fiberglass, make sure its completely dry and repair it with fiberglass as it should be. All in All...great find for 300 bucks and a nice job getting it out on the water and tested.

Joe pay attention to these guys telling you how to fix that crack the CORRECT way!! Grind out all that crap you put in there, get some real resin and fiberglass! No more gimmicky bullshit products! That is a high pressure zone and requires legit repair! Great find tho!! That thing is super slick 😁🤙

After you repair the keel, they make a heavy rubber adhesive backed guard to help prevent damage to the keel when you beach the boat I applied mine 10 years ago and it’s still holding on great.

The best way to fix that crack is to start fixing front the inside. Then go to the outside. The patch you put on will work for now. You scored big with that boat. They are a blast. Great video as usual. Keep them coming. Love the fact that you are willing to try fixing anything.

I didn't notice a paddle. A lot of trust in the engine. Nice video, enjoyed very much.

I like it when you do voiceovers for some of the video like this. It gives us a much better perspective of what was going through your head in that moment when we cant hear you all that well

Love the channel. First time commenting. I’m sure somebody has told you this by now? But just in case. Whenever you start your boat after sitting for over 24 hours you ALWAYS, open the engine hatch and then turn the blower on. In that order. If you get into the habit of turning the blower in first you will sometimes forget to open the engine bay hatch. You need that fresh air into the engine bay in order to clean out the fumes.

You might not have noticed, but the boat that passes you on the left with a water skier - at about minute 39, the guy skiing is skiing barefoot - hence the huge water spray he was creating. Cool footage!

Awesome as always.thanks for sharing and taking us along

I love your channel. I’m really enjoying the boat videos. Great work!

Great Vid! I always look forward to ‘em.

Good job, your a knowledgeable mechanic. Thank you for helping others. A lot of good info.

I used Marine-Tex to repair a cracked engine block. That stuff makes JB Weld look like silly puffy!!

Very cool to watch you work and have fun when you get to take the boat out!

Just a quick tip to avoid a lot of sanding. After the the patch is applied be it epoxy or resin, a sheet of waxed paper drawn tight over the area and affixed with tape will help contour the patch a push excess into the void. After curing it should pull right off.

Made a nice lil boat! Great work!! Love the videos!!😎

New to your channel I’ve watched a few videos over the last couple of days seeing you work on the bikes and I have to say I’m enjoying your content so far. 👍

Always take a paddle with you in case you need to row to shore if it quits running, also a fire extinguisher and a life jacket in case it sinks lol. But hey nice find and you got very lucky it had no major issues, sweet deal. Been boating since I was 6 yrs old, grew up on a bay in Puget Sound in the PNW, had many scary experiences on the water. always be prepared just in case. Happy boating my friend.

Hi, in the UK and love your videos and the different kinds of machines you repair and demonstrate. I'm restoring a Triumph Spitfire from 1973 with a lot of the work based on you tube videos but in a way wish it was a motorbike as learnt so much from watching your channel! Great to see you out on the water and well, my only observation would be why not put some foam on the boat seat can't be that comfortable 😂 and some display of boat speed from a phone app or similar. We all like speed and to see what they will do.

Fibreglass repair is easy done and holds perfectly, nice buy there ! make some polish and some new seats and paint top of the motor and you'll get some nice cash from this one !

Great video as always Joe! I thought that patch would have worked better than it did. Sounds like it runs great! Could you still buy new seats/ cushions for that boat? Looks like fun! .....send it! Great buy!

Always a good day when 2vintage uploads

Awesome job, Joe! Great find

If you want to remove the last little bit of water from the crack (4:55) prior to applying epoxy, wipe it down with acetone. It will mix with the water and evaporate more readily.

we are just kidding Ed because you are a fantastic mechanic and if we have a service problem with our boat we will come to you first!

This is a very nice boat and I'm glad you were able to bring it back to life

That is awesome! I would love a little tiny boat like this. Probably the only boat my tiny truck could tow lol.

I love your channel. I know nothing about boats, but I would definitely fiberglass it. For 300$, totally worth the time and effort to fix it properly. :)

im loving these boat videos keep up the great work my man

Use 'Barkeepers Friend' in the bilge area and on the deck. Scrub it on with a little water, let it sit for 10 minutes, scrub it around a little more, then hose off with liberal amounts of water. It will remove all of those stains on the fiberglass deck and bilge like nothing. Super easy to use, very little scrubbing required.

Nice job as always. Interesting content.

Great video as always

Wow man what a bargain!! Great film about time you had some good luck! Thanks

Great channel, I don't know how you put out so many great videos. I would look at that trailer and where the boat is hitting, maybe raise the bunks to keep it up higher before it hits the rollers. The speedometer pickup in the back needs to be flipped down so it can be down in the water flow. It's made to flip up if it hits something. Just senses water pressure to run the speedometer. I agree with you about working on UTVs they're a pain. Don't buy a Polaris RZR 800. Great videos, keep them coming.

If you would have flipped the drain plugs housings over it would have lined up perfectly..yours are upside down also next time apply the sealant to the screws and to the back of the housing.

love watching your show!!

Watching that thing go on the water looks super fun!

If/when the Marine Tex fails in the long crack after it's scraped off when the bottom makes contact with something, take a Dremmel or angle grinder and V-notch the crack so the Marine Tex will have a larger area to fill. This will help it to resist being scraped off. Might end up placing a fiberglass patch over the damaged area in the future.

Can't wait to see it on the track!!!!

Your videos are awesome . I wished that i could find the deals that you do . Keep up the good work😂😂😂

Congratulations great job

He said “probably could have got some big air “😂😂😂😂

I always thought these jet boats were weird but it sure does look like fun. That thing is a rocket!

you need at least 7 in of foam on the seat so your don't injure your spin on the seat. If it doesn't have fix tine intake grate you can install one. Them adjust the ride plate to best speed. you should start to plane just above idle if correct. I owned a 240 hp seadoo jetboat. and had a forum to tech. You did a great job. Likely hit rocks in FoX River.

Great buy, it sounds awesome and really moves.👍

great looking boat ❤

Make sure to mix in rodadendren water with the epoxy. It makes it smell like flowers when you use it in the bath tub.

That damage could have bee caused by trailer mishaps. A bunk type trailer is more forgiving for driving the boat onto. Good luck with getting it fixed, it's a great find.

Great find, great project. congrats on getting it put together. Next up, Jade and Vinny waterskiing

Thee best 300 dollar boat I've ever seen. Congrats

Awesome project, sir. Maybe put some bunk rollers on the trailer and lift them up so only the bottom sides of the boat touches. That will keep your keel from touching anything. And y'know a full length keel guard won't hurt. But you did a fine job and that thing is fast!

You're normally so thoughtful and professional. You look like a DIY dope!

Brilliant video.

Joe you know you always get a thumbs-up from me because it's tough to make these videos! Now here comes the bad news, when you do a piss poor prep job and don't use the proper stuff for the job you know what the end result will be. You could have used the angel hair version number to Bondo and it would have been dry in 20 minutes and you would have been in the water like you wanted to be anyway not really even caring about the job itself. I only wish that I could find deals like you find out where you live. Where I live you would never get a boat like that for $300 let alone the trailer included! You know Joe you are far better at doing stuff then the way you do them. Don't complain about laying in the Rocks when you can simply throw down a pad, and when your boat leaves don't complain about the stuff you used when you could have just used fiberglass to begin with. A simple grinder with a 60 or 80 grit flap disc would have been way more sufficient than trying to hand sand with a sponge pad oh, the only good thing that I saw you do is use brake cleaner to clean it. I really hope it goes good out on the lake for you. Many blessings to you and your family as always and that always includes that crazy dog Vinny

Congratulations. Be interesting to see how you finish it up.

Always enjoy your videos and this one was fun because I always thought those little jet boats were kind of cool although I've never owned one only have had bigger boats... Is that by chance Shawno Lake that you are on?

1/8” notched trowel for the carpet adhesive. Nice find.

Great deal. Those mercury 2 stroke engines are the best. They are reliable and last a long time.

Great job! On future first drives please show the gauges!

Excellent buy . Looked like a lot of fun . Especially for the amount of money you have invested in it : ).

Maybe think about checking out the impeller in the jet drive. Those are critical for getting the most out of the boat. Especially with the age of that one.

Cool looking boat ,

Hi Joe. Not much storage in the boat but I would at least purchase a collapsible oar to keep in it. Have had to use mine before, so you never know.

You need a J-Roller to smooth the carpet that you're laying with the cement. And the reason the guy sold it for $300 is that the way it sat when you bought it, it was junk. Most people would pay for someone to do the the transom repair and crack repair in the hull. That would mean sanding off the gel coat, fiberglassing an area at least a foot on either side of the keel, and re-gel coating it. The whole transom would almost need to be replaced to satisfy most, and all of that would be pricey.. But since you're willing to do a lot of work on these yourself, it's a risk worth taking.

Love this beaut Joe!👊👌🦾💯💯

I did one for a buddy of mine recently. Spent like 200 in stuff getting it running hit it with some acid to clean the haul and he was so excited dude dropped me 1k and ever since him and his little boy been using it a few times a month for a majority of the year. It's already been like 3 seasons and they still getting good use out of it. I had to braise a hole in one of the water exhaust manifolds and I added a brass cap with a nice fillet braise weld to make sure it never leaked.

nice boat! I like it. hope we will see it soon!

i think if you epoxy the crack from the other side it will fill in much better, loving the videos, Scotland is watching.

Definitely a keeper! Big toy score!

That soft fiberglass needs to get cut out and fixed properly with fiberglass mat. What you did might work temporarily

Lol that was cool man well done bud

Ya I'd def put fiberglass webbing and resin on that hull crack, every time you hit a wave, the sides of the hull are gonna flex up in which thats gonna keep pulling open at that crack. Need something there to hold that crack closed when the hull flexes.

Awesome find and buy...

Great job joe!!💫⭐️🇺🇸👍🏻

If that thing is anything like the Yamaha Exciter, you can spin that thing like a jet ski. I think i mentioned stainless staples for marine use on something else you worked on, I see you took my advice, good on you for that. That hull needs to be glassed. Also, pop the back cap off that pump and check the impeller and wear ring along with the stator vanes. If any of that stuff is roughed up or out of spec or damaged it can play a major roll in performance.

Nice video, and good find. Can I ask what lake you were on. Looks very familiar. Thanks

Marine Tex my go to for tuff jobs, very hard to sand, And I’m amazed the resin didn’t over kick usually the test it stays sticky or burns up, MEK can be an enemy

Love the videos I wish I could make a living doing what I love like you

Really enjoy your videos! I’m having a rough time with a Grizzly 600 that’s in my garage right now I bought it smoked like crazy I tore it down to the cylinder and replaced rings and valve seals I’ve adjusted valves to spec as well. Timing has been set to service manual and has been triple checked. When started it will idle fine then gradually revs up to rpm’s to high for it to go into gear. I have adjusted the air screw I have messed with the needle height. I have checked my float height and and blown air through all my valves. Now the last piece when I cover the air intake with fingers with gaps the idle lowers which makes me think it is running lean, but no matter the adjustments I make it seems to just keep on keeping on. Any suggestions? Didn’t know how else to reach out so I suspect comments were the best option.

Rockin the tennis shoes in the water haha

Awesome job son, wish I could run across the deal like that

You really need to fiberglass over the penetration. Build it up with the putty, sand it smooth to get the right shape, then sand off the gel coat around the damage, maybe 220 grit with a DA sander. then a couple oval shaped layers of glass over the defect and about 3" all around or more. Then you can fill the glass with more of that putty, then sand smooth, then paint the whole area. That putty isn't meant to be structural.

You know what's crazy? Most all of the newer jetskis have double the hp that this boat has. Time has definitely changed technology 😂

Nice pick up! I remember when they came out. I like to believe they were 9 or 10 grand. Fu KY fresh graphics.

Get a keel guard. That will help with the crack. Great job...your a damn good mechanic.

If the fiberglass is cracked under the paint I would if possible mix up some resin and pour a thin layer on the inside where the crack is hoping it will run through the crack and set up filling the crack it in from the inside too. Make sure there is no water on the inside and it is completely dry on the inside before using the resin. Add a piece of glass on the inside and outside to strengthen the repair.

I would put stainless bolts with washers and nuts on the inside of the boat with stainless lock nuts on the drain plugs. Wonder what keeps the plug from not vibrating loose then leaking?😊 I’m a blown gas flat bottom drag boat guy but this little dude would be fun to putt too. Sure was a deal at $300. Don’t forget to repack the wheel bearings with good synthetic wheel bearing grease. Looks and sounds smooth. So relaxing cruising on the water. GPS the dude at full throttle for us.

Been posting on Sunday when mustie1 posts does make a good couple hours of something good to watch…

There's a sticky keel material that's for helping keep it from getting all cracked up from running it up on shore a lot of jet skies use it

I had a glasspar and then I had a Chris-Craft and then I had something Jasper or whatever it was but you are doing fantastic work!

They used to have a product called fix-all I don't know if they still have it and it actually had similar instructions 😊

That definitely needs to be fiberglassed over cut open and let dry it out before you glass it. Your marine-tex is going to let go because the area is moist or even wet tell him by the drips on the trailer.

Definitely worth doing the fiberglass work and throwing some new upholstery in it.

That's nice you can't even wait for the water to drain out of the boat B4 you put the sealer on 😂 it was literally dripping while you were applying it

That might be the best 300 dollars spent I have always wanted one of those small jet boats sea doo had one back in the day people used to submarine them they looked so cool to me